Detroit Mercy star who changed the eligibility rules — his Supreme Court case opened the NBA to underclassmen.
Spencer Haywood was born in Silver City, Mississippi in 1949. After a year at Trinidad Junior College in Colorado, he transferred to the University of Detroit for one year and led the nation in scoring and rebounding — averaging 32.1 points and 22.1 rebounds per game. He was the most dominant college player in the country in 1968-69. He left for the ABA, winning the championship and MVP with the Denver Rockets in 1969-70. When he tried to join the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA in 1970, the league blocked it — he was not four years removed from high school graduation as required. His case went to the US Supreme Court, which ruled in his favour in 1971 — Haywood v. National Basketball Association. The ruling opened professional basketball to underclassmen and eventually to high school players. Without his legal battle, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and many others would never have entered the NBA at 18. His University of Detroit season was one of the most statistically extraordinary in college basketball history and launched a legal legacy that transformed the sport.
ABA MVP (1970)
Career Honours
- ABA MVP (1970)
- NCAA scoring leader
- Detroit Mercy legend
- Supreme Court impact (NBA eligibility)